Jared Berbach, the game director behind the League of Legends Wild Rift spin-off, has revealed that he is no longer associated with Riot Games. Berbach, who led the development of the mobile iteration of the immensely popular MOBA, shared that his role was impacted by a “reduction in force” orchestrated by the League of Legends developer.
Despite this change, he expressed gratitude towards his colleagues and praised Riot’s mission to become the foremost player-centric game company worldwide.
In a LinkedIn post, Berbach announced, “After nearly four years at Riot Games, I am embarking on the next phase of my career.” He acknowledged that, like numerous others within the gaming industry in 2023, his role was affected by an organizational restructuring.
Hey fam. Professional update!
After just short of 4 years at @riotgames, it’s time for me to embark on the next chapter of my career! Unfortunately, like many others throughout the games industry in 2023, my role was affected by a reduction in force… pic.twitter.com/4cosuNKgLo
— Jared Berbach (@darkhorse4life) September 1, 2023
“Although sharing this news openly is challenging and somewhat unsettling, I remain optimistic that my next endeavor will be an exciting stride towards fulfilling my ongoing aspiration of delivering remarkable games to players,” Berbach shared.
He reflected on his tenure at Riot, where he contributed to the launch of Valorant, a competitor to CSGO and Overwatch 2, and worked with the League of Legends team prior to and during his tenure as game director for LoL Wild Rift.
Berbach extended his gratitude to his colleagues at Riot Games, noting, “I feel privileged to have collaborated with industry luminaries whom I had long admired from a distance, and they were all generous and open in sharing their vast reserves of knowledge.” He also commended Riot for its unwavering dedication to providing value to players.
This development undoubtedly carries implications for Wild Rift, as the game has experienced the departure of multiple team members in 2023. Riot Games had previously suspended western esports tournaments for the spin-off game in November 2022.
Additionally, the staff reductions carried out by Riot Games in January resulted in the departure of 46 team members from the developer’s roster.
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